


Suffering Hands

by hylicshouse, spookyhead



Series: Crosa [1]
Category: LISA (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, hit like if you love crosa, two boys get kissy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-18 06:54:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16990149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hylicshouse/pseuds/hylicshouse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyhead/pseuds/spookyhead
Summary: Nosa, the traveling merchant, and Crow, one of Buzzo's gang, get caught up in a Joy run gone wrong and see new sides of each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is from kind of an RP me and Spooky did together because we like Crosa too much. Format might be kind of weird but it felt like too much work was put into this not to share. 
> 
> Nosa is from my fic [West Coast Smoker](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520279) and Crow is from Spooky's [Oh Joy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876083).
> 
> Nosa looks like [this](https://tormaph.tumblr.com/post/179738981864/hey-i-made-a-lisa-oc)! Crow looks like [this](https://devilsbathhouse.tumblr.com/post/176990251691/marbleboa-came-up-with-a-concept-for-a-lisa-oc-i#notes)!
> 
> For more info and art references on the Joy Boys mentioned in the story check out Spooky's Joy Boy tag [here](https://devilsbathhouse.tumblr.com/tagged/joy-boys)!

Nosa never liked making big deliveries on his own. He knew the road wasn’t that long ahead, but he could imagine clinging on to two huge bags of mags while trying to drive a motorcycle one handed all while his suitcase dipped his weight closer to the ground with every turn. He had a pair of goggles on to keep the wind from stinging his eyes shut because he cracked his last Joy mask to pieces. He would have to ask for help, and he really really hoped Buzzo was gone on a supply run on this god-awful day. He was the last person he wanted to see today. He did know the Boys did shuffle hideouts every now and then, but they knew he was coming at some point today and this was their last meeting place, so he hoped at least someone would be inside. He parked right outside the door of the warehouse and cut the engine. The noise didn’t bring anyone outside, so he sighed deeply. He adjusted the suitcase of his wares on his back and waltzed right up to the door, gave it a few taps, then loudly announced while opening it “Dudes, I’m here!”  
          Ezra brought herself into the rectangle of light that the door shaped into the darkness. “Hey. Welcome back.” She said.  
          “Hey, E!” He greeted her with a famous Nosa grin. Someone he actually liked to see. “Bring the Joy. And you running low on that lady candy?”  
          “Yeah I am,” she then turned as a cue for Nosa to follow her in and he obliged. “So, if you have any of that stuff with you that’d be great. How much is it?”  
          Ezra led him to the backroom of the warehouse where they stored their treasure trove of Joy. “20 for candy, but you know the juice lasts longer. It's 40 though.” Ezra looked like she was in thought for a moment as she opened one of the many packed crates containing a multitude of bags holding the drug.  
          Her side business at the Beehive was doing well and it’s not like she didn’t have the mags to spare. Thinking on that she said, “Well if it lasts longer, I’ll take the...uh, ‘juice’. I just have a few mags with me right now, but I can go grab some more if you’d wait here.”  
          Nosa piped up before she moved. “Lady juice usually lasts about two weeks each shot.” he made a small measurement with his fingers adding “You can probably go even just a bit longer than that if you wanted. It’s usually triple the price butttt” he hung on to the words so he could put on a big smile ‘-you know I love you.”  
          Ezra threw a look at him. She was kind of surprised that she wasn’t used to his mannerisms by this point. The look quickly faded into a gentle laugh as she shook her head. “Fine, fine, I’ll go grab the mags, be right back. Wait here, and don’t destroy our whole Joy supply while you’re at it, yeah?” When she got to the door, she added a ‘thank you’.  
          Nosa took two big baggies of Joy from the crate then slid the top back into place. They hadn’t forgotten about the time he did manage to ruin that batch of Joy, huh? He set his suitcase down to grab two gifts for the others that he had and then returned to his hands-to-himself stance.  
          Ezra goes back into the spare room where the her safe for mags was. She thumbs through a stack for the price, locks the safe, and exits. In the hallway is another of the Joy crew, Crow, seemingly waiting for her.  
          “Is Nosa back? I thought I heard him.” He asks.  
          “Yeah, he’s in here.” Crow tails her back to the room.  
          Crow is then greeted by a loud ‘Yooo, what’s up, shortstack!’ from Nosa. Crow was still in the process of waking up from a nap, so he just wiped the comment from his mind. He still felt happy to see him. “Hey, Nosa. Good to see you back, feels like it’s been a while.”  
          “It does, doesn’t it? Hey, E?” his eyes went to hers “Can you help me with this Joy run? It might take a while, but I need some extra hands taking back the stuff.”  
          Ezra lets a breath pass through her teeth and a frown follows. She says a quick apology along with “Not this time. I was just waiting for you to come by, so I could grab the stuff then head to work. Beehive’s been pretty busy lately and Queen Roger’s been kind of stressed, don’t want to get on his bad side by not showing up, you know?”  
          Oh, Queen Roger. Nosa remembered some awkward and sometimes fun times at the Beehive. “Yeah, I don’t wanna get capped. Tell him I said hey?”  
          “Yeah sure, maybe you can stop by sometime and say hi, he always likes it when you come to visit.” She holds out the mags in her hand. “Here you are, 40 dirty pages.”  
          Nosa took the mags in his awaiting hand then thumbed through to do a check. Everything was there.  
          Crow just watches their transaction while quietly adding “I could help if you want.”  
          Nosa looks at him and sizes Crow up ready for another height joke. It seemed like Nosa and Ezra towered above him. He was rather on the short side.  
          “No, I thought I'd ask Jaxon so he can help me carry all the shit.” Crow was spared from the jab instead aimed at their armless comrade.  
          Crow narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Do you want me to help you or not?”

          “You doin’ anything else?” Nosa asked. Truthfully, he really hoped not. Of all the Joy Boys, Crow was Nosa’s favorite.  
          Crow shrugged. “Not really. Got back from a Joy run a while ago and I’ve just been sleeping, it’ll be nice to have something to do.”  
          Nosa smiled. That was what he liked to hear. Crow looked like he could use some action even though it was never a dull moment with this crew. “Okay, lets kick this bitch down the stairs!” He tucked the pages and Joy bags into his suitcase and zipped it shut. “E, tell Darius I'm calling an arm-wrestling rematch next time I see him.” The last matches he lost pretty miserably, but with some recent practice, he thought he stood a chance at the title. He perks up for a moment now remembering the other things he was holding. He hands a small bottle of green tinted liquid to Ezra. “This is for Kai. He owes me big time. It was a nightmare getting this stuff.” Absinthe for their local Joy Boy drunkard.  
          “Got it. I’ll see you guys later then. Thanks again, Nosa.” She threw up a peace sign as she left the two to their own devices.  
          A voice calls from close in the warehouse. “Nosa?” A young voice questions the area. A huge smile lights up Nosa’s face at recognizing the voice’s owner.  
          “ _Felix_!” he basically screams in response. Footsteps follow and the youngest of the boys with freckled cheeks, clouded eyes, and dusty red hair wanders into the room. Crow watches as Nosa drops his things to trot over and lift the boy in the air. Felix is caught off guard at first but then relaxes into a smile and a laugh. Felix is nearly as tall as Nosa but he’s able to lift him with no trouble. He drops him back to earth then guides him along by the hand to his things. “I’ve got some new food for you to try. You haven’t had Pop Rocks before have you?”  
          Felix’s brow furrows in confusion and he shakes his head. “No, what are they?” His expression shifts into something more excited. “Wait, are they something like Poptarts?”  
          “They’re like…” Nosa ponders on that for a moment. They’re both sweet but no not like the old box of Poptarts Nosa had once unearthed and given to Felix; who, despite the expiration date, ate the whole box by himself. Nosa’s excitement didn’t diminish as he eagerly imagined Felix’s reaction to the new treat. “It’s candy. Hold out your hand.”  
          From what little sweets Felix had ever tasted, he was still adamant on trying this new and unknown thing. He held his hand out eagerly as he only had one arm. Nosa ripped open the packet and poured a little mound in his hand. _Not too much_ , he thought, on the off chance that Felix didn’t like them or was too surprised by the reaction, but Nosa was sure he’d love it and want the rest.  
          Felix runs along the small mound of candy on his palm experimentally with his thumb, it feels kind of like little lumps of sand. As he puts them in his mouth, his eyes widen at the weird sensation. He opens his mouth to say something but it’s full of crackles and hisses. He opens and closes his mouth a couple more times listening to the new noise, an expression of awe on his face. “Holy _shit_.”  
          Nosa was very satisfied with his reaction. He kept flapping his lips opened and closed like a fish. “They’re called Pop Rocks for a reason.” He pressed the open packet into his hand for him to enjoy.  
 “That’s awesome.” Felix holds the packet carefully, making sure he doesn’t spill it on accident. He looks in Nosa’s direction with a grin from ear to ear. “Dude, thanks so much!” he chattered excitedly.  
          “No problem.” Nosa looks pleased. He didn’t get to see the small smile grow on Crow’s face from the exchange. A sudden thought of Felix trying to fit as much candy as possible into his little mouth flashed in Nosa’s mind. He had to add “Don’t choke.” He playfully ruffled his hand through Felix’s hair. “Me and Crow gotta do a delivery. It'll be a while, but we'll be back.”  
          “Aw, really? But you just got here.” Felix looks down and frowns slightly, then his head shoots up suddenly. “Wait, what if I go with you guys?”  
          Nosa couldn’t help remembering a supply run he went on. He nearly got killed and still had the scar from the bullet wound.  "There is zero room on the bike left, dude. Sorry.” Upon seeing the disappointment on Felix’s face, he chimed in. “We can do something when I get back though?”  
          Felix thinks for a moment. “Okay, fine. Guess I’ll see you guys later, I’m gonna show Jaxon these pop rocks now.” He grins and holds up the bag of candy, gleefully shaking it before he starts walking away. “Byeee!!” Nosa gave him a good-bye wave before dropping his hand realizing his obvious mistake.  
          Crow scans the room looking for all the stuff Nosa mentioned before. “So where’s the stuff we have to carry?”  
          “We'll have to go trade the Joy for all the stuff. You get car sick?” He walks to the door with Crow following.  
          Crow was really hoping he wouldn’t have to be driving, on the account of him never learning how. “No, I’ll be fine. Where are we going?”  
          “Pretty far east.” Nosa opened the door to outside. “Maybe the day will hold out and we'll make it back before nightfall.” He then waved a hand at their ride. “Check it!” he sang as if revealing that Crow had just won this prize motorcycle.  
          Crow marvels at it as they approach. “Wow. Never actually been up close with one of these before.”  
          “What for real?”  
          Crow shook his head. “Nope. I mean, I’ve seen them on the road before but never really got near one much less ride one.” His expression turns sour as nervousness washes over him and starts to rethink this.  
           A huge grin overtook Nosa’s face. “Get on.”  
          Crow exchanged a look between him and the bike. “O-oh. Right.” He’s hesitant getting on.  
          Nosa slides in right behind him fitting against the curve of Crow’s back. Nosa’s hands set Crow’s on the handles and Crow is suddenly hyperaware of every touch between them. Nosa explains the steps to get it started, brake, kill switch, and steering. He adjusts the gauntlets on his hands and lightly holds onto the tops of Crow’s hands, so he can be like a puppeteer to his actions. Nosa is winding down his speech on the instructions and Crow is listening intently despite the pressure and warmth he feels between them. Nosa pops off the goggles adorned on his face and gives them to Crow who then adjusts to properly fit his own.  
          “I’ll take care of the gears. Just do what my hands do. Walk it forward then give it the tiniest squeeze.” Nosa adjusts his suitcase backpack tighter so it doesn’t fall from his arms then reaches over to turn the key and hits the switches. The engine responds with a roar to life and the vibrations pass between them. The motor is still warm so there’s no need to wait for the bike to ready itself. Nosa sets the gears, pulls up his feet from the ground to the passenger foot pegs, and Crow begins to lead the bike forward. Nosa lightly eases off the clutch and the bike kicks forward and panic hits Crow thinking he’s already messed up, but Nosa’s hand gives him a light pat and he can hear his voice in his ear and the rumble his voice puts through his back.  
          “I’m about to let go of the clutch now and it’s gonna pick up. When it starts going, give it some throttle.”  
          Crow’s anxiety grew as the bike seemed to pick up speed despite not even pulling the throttle yet. They were rolling forward and Crow’s feet were off the ground at this point. Nosa’s hands guiding him were the only comfort he had in this moment. As lightly as he could, Crow turned the throttle downwards. The bike responded as Nosa had said and began picking up speed as much as Crow had allowed. Already Crow’s mind was ahead thinking of them both biting the dust as he crashed the bike against some rock, but there was nothing notable around and the ground was clear enough from any obstacles.  
          Nosa bumped his hand again to signal for more throttle, and Crow answered with a little more of a twist. The bike responded with more speed.  
          Crow felt Nosa’s laugh reverberate through his back. “You got it! Now give it a good twist.” With that command, the bike went even faster, and both felt the wind dance in their hair and clothing. Crow could feel all the bumps and curves of the ground run through the wheels and up into his very core. He began to get a little more courage to guide the throttle down even more with Nosa’s hand mirroring his.  
          Nosa let loose a wild, unrestrained, excited yell from deep in his chest. “Come on, Crow! Hell _YEAH_!” he elbowed his side for him to join in the merry making.  
          Crow feels a smile start to spread across his face and begins to turn his head to look back at Nosa before he remembers to keep his eyes on the road. He still starts laughing though, feeling both exhilaration and disbelief that he’s actually able to do this, with Nosa’s help of course. They both ride on forward like this captured in the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

In a few, Nosa taps his hand for them to stop. Crow stops the throttle and Nosa eases on the breaks. Gears shifted and everything in place, they slow to a park. Nosa steps off the bike first and opens up his pack, digging his hand around. “Sorry, jitters. Thought I was gonna have to talk to Buzzo at some point. You want a cigarette?”  
          Crow nods appreciatively, moving his leg over the seat and getting off the bike. “Sure, that’d be great, thanks.” He leans on the vehicle while watching Nosa look through his pack. “And you didn’t need to worry about Buzzo, he and some of the others had left just as I came back from my run with Kai and Flint. I’d imagine they’d be back soon, though.”  
          “Got it.” He finds his pack and grumbles. One of the two cigarettes he had had been torn open with tobacco leaves littering the box. There was only one useable one left. “Damn, only one left, you care if we share?”  
          Crow reaches back to his pocket to see if he had any, but he only had his lighter. Must have forgotten them back at the warehouse. “No, that’s fine. I got a light if you need one, though.” Then he remembers who he’s talking to “Then again, you probably already have one don’t you?”  
          “Duh.”  
          Crow gives a small, sheepish smile. “Heh, sorry, just realized that was a silly question.” He looks around the area they stopped in. “So how much farther do we have to go? Or are we already here?”  
          "We're nowhere close, I said it was a while, didn't I?" Nosa pulls the lighter from the pack, tosses it in the air, and catches it with his other hand. He puts the cig in his mouth and lights up. He takes a deep puff then passes it to Crow. Kind of hard to hold a tiny thing like that in his gauntlets.  
          “Thanks.” He takes it and has a seat on the ground beside Nosa. As he takes a drag on the cigarette, he glances over at Nosa’s hands, “Did you make those yourself? The gauntlets, I mean.”  
          "Yep. I thought I told you at some point? You want me to make you something?"  
 “Uh, actually yeah, sort of.” Crow looks away from Nosa and stares down at his hands. “My usual crowbar is useful of course, but it’s not made for combat. I feel like I could be more...efficient, I guess, if I had something different. I’m just not too sure what.”  
          Nosa briefly scans him from the side. “Can you throw a punch?”  
          Crow looks back up at him and nods “Yeah.”  
          He reaches for the cig. "Okay....uh.... Hit me."  
          For a moment, Crow looks alarmed and his brow furrows. He thought he misunderstood but as he runs the words back through his head, it registers. “Uh…you sure?”  
          Nosa takes the cig and puts it in his mouth, taking in a puff. “Yeah, do it.”  
          “Um. Oh. Ok.” He shifts his body so he’s facing Nosa and brings his fist back to his hip. He hesitates for a couple moments before driving it forward into Nosa’s face, shifting his hips to get more momentum.  
          Nosa is surprised and the cigarette flies out of his mouth and into the dirt. He almost falls over, but his arm catches his fall and props him up. His hand runs to his cheek to where it’s now turning pink. He suddenly tasted blood in his mouth from crunching down on his cheek. “Dude, WHAT THE _FUCK_.”  
          Crow blinks in surprise at the sudden sight of blood. “Jesus, Nosa, are you alright?!” His hands are slightly raised but he’s unsure of what to do. “Why did you even ask me that, anyway? You could’ve just taken my word for it.”  
          Nosa scowls and palms his hand away with his other pressed to his face. Blood drips from his lip. "Yeah, when I said 'punch me' I meant like in the arm or something, not in my goddamn _face_!"  
          Crow’s hands fall to his sides and he sighs. “I think you really should’ve been a bit more specific, Nosa. Think you’re going to be alright?  
          Nosa looks at the cigarette now mixed into the dirt with the flame extinguished from a gust of wind. He spits the blood pooling into his mouth next to the cigarette, the remains dripping down his lip he wipes on his gauntlet. “Yeah. Ow.” He put pressure to his cheek. At that, he laughs and changes the subject. “Lemme see your hand.”  
          Crow stares at Nosa for a moment, wondering what he’s up to. After a brief pause, he raises his hand and holds it out.  
          Nosa takes it lightly between both hands and turns it around like he’s studying each curve and grove. His fingers brush over his knuckles and gently prods him to outstretch his fingers. “So, you want to fight with some distance or close up?”  
          Crow tenses at the contact, but the sensation of his hands being touched isn’t altogether unpleasant and he doesn’t pull away. He almost doesn’t hear the question. “...Close up.”  
          “Hmm. Thought so.” He released Crow’s hand. “You have worn hands. And tuck your thumb more under your fingers next time. I can make you some knuckle knives. Like brass knuckles that also have a blade.”  
          “Oh.” Crow withdrew his hand and looked down at it, closing it into a fist and shifting his thumb around as Nosa said. “That would definitely work.”  
          Nosa started to stand and spit some blood into the dirt again. “I don’t have the tools to make measurements for your hands right now, so that’ll have to wait for next time.” He stretched his legs and stood. “Let’s get going.” He bumps the suitcase straps off his shoulders and passes it to Crow.  
          Crow nods and stands up as well, taking the backpack in his hands and threading his arms through the straps attached to it. “Are you going to drive this time?”  
          "Yeah the road gets bumpier and narrow at some points ahead. But you do get to say you got to drive a motorcycle." he flashes a grin.  
          “I guess I do.” He briefly returns the smile before walking over to the bike. He climbs on towards the back of the seat, his moves slightly more awkward with the suitcase on his back.  
          "Wait, I got something for you. Don't move." He unzips part of the suitcase and digs inside pulling out a Walkman. "You like music?"  
          “Yes, why do you ask?” Crow looks over his shoulder to see what Nosa took out of the suitcase. “Oh. Been a while since I’ve seen one of those.”  
          Nosa zips up the pack and puts the Walkman in Crow's hand. "70's hits on side A, side B has 80's hits. I would start with 70's." He waves his hand for Crow to move a little then slides on. "Hotel California is Track 1 and it's almost like you’re in a movie riding in the desert and listening to it." Nosa quickly starts up the cycle and gets it in gear in a fluid motion.  
          Crow takes the device and fiddles with it before tucking it into his pocket and putting the earplugs in. Familiar music floods his ears, something he hasn’t heard in a long time. As the motorcycle begins to move Crow quickly reaches forward underneath Nosa’s arms and his hands rest lightly on his sides for balance.  
          Nosa notices the situation he's in. He feels his face flush as Crow's weight leans into him, but his mind floats to a dangerous scenario. "Uh. You're gonna need to hold on tight. The suitcase is a lot heavier than it looks and if I have to take a sudden turn it can end up dragging you right off. Make sure you lean into the turns if I do. Oh...and goggles please?"  
          “Oh, right. Sorry.” He reaches up with one hand to pull the goggles down from his forehead, and his hand goes back down to interlock with his other around Nosa’s stomach. “Is this better?”  
          “Yeah, perfect.” Nosa pops the goggles back on and his hair clouds around the outline. With his experience he quickly walks the bike forward and gets on the road in no time. He’s half focused on the road and half on the way Crow’s arms feel around him.  
          Nosa didn’t know how much time they’d spent on the road. Crow probably had a better idea using the songs times as a reference. Nosa did know the way but he began to doubt himself when the sky grew cloudy and he saw snow patching the ground here and there. The wind began to pick up and some snow drifted across his goggles. He slowed down so not to slide across any ice. More snow began to cover the ground until he could no longer see the brown of dirt.   
          Crow shivered slightly as the cooler air touched his skin. The blanket around his upper torso did help somewhat, but the cold wind cut right through it. He took out one of his earbuds to speak to Nosa. “Where are we? I had no idea there were places where it still snowed.”  
          “I’ve never been through here when it snowed. It’s usually clear. It’s this whatever weird weather thing is going on around here.” Nosa hit the kill switch and put up the kickstand. “Lemme think.”  
          “Alright.” Now that the bike has stopped Crow removes his arms from Nosa and shuffles back slightly into a more upright position. He starts to regret doing that though, now feeling the chilly air in it’s entirely. He frowns at the sky above them and crosses his arms, tucking them underneath his poncho.  
          Nosa looked back at Crow’s shivering form and brought himself off the bike. “You freezing?”  
          “I’m alright. Just haven’t gotten used to this weather yet, I’ll be fine.” He glanced at Nosa. “You don’t seem too bothered by it, though.”  
          Nosa shimmied off his poncho and tossed it in Crow's face. "Yeah, take this. Lemme get to the suitcase."  
          “Uh, alright.” Crow pulls the poncho off his face as he turns around on the seat and stares at it in his hands. “Are you sure it’s alright for me to use this? It’s yours, and I really am fine with just my poncho.”  
          "Yeah." Nosa is busy rummaging around in the suitcase. He then pulls down a big fluffy knit hat on the top of Crow's head far enough that it goes over his eyes.  
          “...What are you doing?” Crow pushes the edge of the hat up slightly, so he can see, and wraps the poncho around his shoulders.  
          “Here.” He ignores the question and wraps a soft scarf around Crow’s neck. “You’re really nice, you know, dude?”  
          Crow stays silent for a moment processing what he just said. “Well, thank you Nosa, I appreciate you thinking so.” As he says this, he raises his shoulders slightly so the scarf goes right up against his face. It feels...rather nice, actually.  
          “Be careful with all these, they’re hand knit.” He dangles some matching gloves in front of his face.  
          Crow can’t help but laugh slightly as he takes the gloves and carefully puts them on. “God, I probably look ridiculous right now” He spreads his now gloved hands in front of him, saying in a deadpan tone. “Ta-da.”  
          "Really cute." Nosa stifles a smile as he takes off his gauntlets.  
          “I am not cute.” Crow mutters to himself under his breath, though he does feel a bit of warmth in his face that he quickly dismisses as heat from the scarf and hat. He clears his throat. “So, what should we do now?”  
          "Hold on. I'll get a picture." He had a Polaroid camera in the bag. He switched the gauntlets with the camera.  
          Crow tenses. “Don’t you dare.” There was no way he was going to get a picture taken of him like this, he never even liked being in photos to begin with. He shifts his weight to bolt off of the bike seat but is too late.  
          "CHEESE!" Nosa said while sticking his tongue out getting a selfie of him and Crow in the picture.  
          Crow lets out a frustrated noise and glares at Nosa. “If you show that to any of the gang, I will kill you, I hope you realize that. Buzzo will be the least of your worries.”  
          "I wasn't gonna. I was gonna give it to you." He pinches the picture in his fingers and gives it a shake then slips the camera back in the bag.  
          The irritated look drops off Crow’s face to be replaced with one of surprise. “Oh. That’s fine then, I suppose.”  
          “You hungry?” Nosa asks while offering the developing Polaroid to Crow and reaching into his bag once again. His eye was also on the sky as it seemed like night was on the approach.  
          Crow takes the picture and looks down at it, seeing the picture beginning to show up. Tucking it into his pocket to look at later, he nods. “Yeah, a little bit. He looks over his shoulder towards the suitcase on his back. “You have food in this thing, too? Seems like you have everything in it.”  
          "I do have everything. Name a reasonable food."  
          “Hm, maybe...a granola bar or something?” Wasn’t one of his favorite foods but it was the first thing that came into his head, plus anything’s better than soup or jerky.  
          "Yep. Got it." He slid one into Crow's hand. "Be right back. Gotta see a man about a horse."  
          “Thanks.” Crow started to unwrap it before pausing with a puzzled look on his face. “Wait, a _what_?”  
          While Nosa walked away, he called back. "Gotta piss, dude.”  
          “...oh. Right.” He slid off one of his mittens to make opening the granola bar a bit easier and started eating it. Remembering the Walkman in his pocket, he turned it back on and put the earbuds in.  
          Nosa didn't like the messed-up day and night cycle. It was snowing and now it was just getting darker. Things would be getting colder still and he didn't think he could let himself or Crow drive at night in the snow fall. When he came back to Crow he fumbled in the pack for some binding tape. Gauntlets off, he wrapped them in a fashion to tighten his joints as if he were getting ready to fight in a match.  
          Crow looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to.  Noticing the darkening sky, he frowned. “Do you think we should try and find some shelter?”  
          Nosa wrapped up his hands and the lower part of his arms then tucked the tape in tight to keep it from slipping out. The tape then fit back into the pack. "Yeah. Next thing we see, let’s stop. Nothing around here."  
          Crow nods. “Alright, sounds good.” He tilts his head, staring at Nosa’s arms. “What’s that for?”  
          "So circumstances of being in MK Ultra 2, a lot of my nerves are fried at least on the top layer. I don't really feel cold or heat to an extent. Like right now.” He motions to the air. " But since my gloves are metal and the cloth doesn’t insulate me I can get frostbite real fast. So taped up for a little warmth and in case I gotta knock some heads.”  
          Crow raises his eyebrows in surprise. “I was wondering why you didn’t seem that bothered without your poncho, I had no idea about that. That’s smart, though. the whole bandage thing, I mean.”  
          "How are you? Warm enough?"  
          “Yeah, I’m fine right now, thanks to these.” He shifts the scarf to make it cover his face a bit more. “Still, it would probably be best to head out now, for both of us.”  
          Nosa adjusts his goggles and blows some hair out of his eyes. He starts the motorcycle up quickly, walks it on, then speeds off. He knows it’s not much farther now. He’s looking ahead for the dirt to meet an old dusted highway road which is where they would have to make the exchange. More rocks, dead trees, and foliage were spotting the area, so he tried to be extra careful now that he had to worry about the snow as well. They were coming up to some boulders and a collection of dead trees. Nosa could see the highway up and coming.  
          Crow peered over Nosa’s shoulder looking at the highway they were approaching. The bike slowly swerved from side to side to avoid any obstacles in their path, and Crow wrapped his arms around Nosa’s stomach just a little bit tighter just to make sure he kept his balance.  
          Neither of them saw the spike strip mixed into the snow. They were lucky Nosa had cut his speed when snaking through some of the desert’s obstacles. The bike still kicked, and the brakes were useless to stop them. In the shock, Nosa tried to gain control but the motorcycle swerved hard and both were thrown off to skid into the snow.  
          Crow tumbled off along with Nosa, his hands loosening in surprise and causing him to let go of him, rolling into the snow. Lifting his face from the ground he looked over at Nosa who had fallen nearby. “Nosa, you alright?! What was that?” He sat up, brushing the snow off his poncho and moving towards him.  
          Nosa bit it a lot harder than Crow. With no poncho and his chest and skin exposed, even with the snow blanketing the ground couldn’t help. He skid over rocks, pebbles, and the gritty dirt tearing into his back and arm. The adrenaline and shock dulled the pain and he leaned quickly upwards to a sitting position.  
          Crow crouched down next to him, feeling a pang of concern in his chest at the sight of the angry red scrapes on the man’s back and arms that were already beginning to ooze blood. He raised a hand to touch him, maybe give some sort of comfort but put it down. Instead, he looked around to see what could have caused the accident. “...What happened?”  
          Nosa was about to apologize profusely, embarrassed because he thought the fault was all his, but something caught his eye looking past Crow. Several men coming out from hiding spots. Some wearing clothing he had seen before. It was them. Nosa’s hair stood on end realizing this was a set up. He was trying his best to think how he was going to try and ramble his way out of this so maybe they could walk their way out without getting beat up or worse. Something caught the fading sun’s light just enough that Nosa was able to focus. It was a gun aimed right at Crow’s back. Nosa only had a second to react as he grabbed onto Crow’s head and shoved it down in the dirt. A gunshot broke through the quiet.  
          Crow saw Nosa’s eyes widen as he stared at something past him and started to turn around to look. Suddenly a hand shot forward and pushed him down. His hat slid off his head and Crow felt the cold snow and rough ground underneath bite into the side of his face. Then there was a gunshot. After a moment of processing what just happened Crow pushed himself upright, a wave of anxiety rushing through him. “...Nosa?”  
          The bullet had dug into the far left of Nosa’s left collarbone. At first, he thought it hit his neck and his whole body froze. When his hand flew to his neck, there was nothing there, it searched until it found the area that soon was overflowing with blood. When he looked down, he couldn’t see it, and was still able to breathe. Nosa was running on pure adrenaline, he could barely feel the pain, but knew the sting would come. He practically jumped to his feet and noticed the gun was no longer pointed right at them.    
          Crow had only just noticed Nosa had been hit before he suddenly stood up, and Crow did the same, panicking at the sight of blood even though he soon realized it didn’t hit anywhere vital. “Nosa-“ He stopped talking, finally noticing the men surrounding them and cursed under his breath. “Should we run for it?”  
          "No...." Nosa only imagined them getting shot right in the back. When he counted, there were about 10 guys. A few he recognized, and some he didn't. All of them were wearing masks, different from the Joy masks the two wore. They were masks from horror movie characters with a Jason, Freddy Krueger, Hannibal, and several others. Only two of them had guns, the rest spears, knives, or other makeshift wasteland weapons. The men encircled the two of them to throw the running tactic completely off the table. They made the circle smaller to put a chokehold on them. A man, the leader, walked closer, he had a machete in his hand and was wearing the Hannibal mask. Nosa recognized him when the mask came off. A rugged muscular guy that Nosa had traded the Joy to last time. When he smiled Nosa could see crooked teeth and evil intent. Nosa cracked his knuckles and stretched out his fingers, but then held his arm up to show surrender.  
          Crow’s eyes darted around as the circle of men grew closer, and he turned to face the direction opposite to where Nosa was looking just in case they tried to attack him from behind. Cursing himself for not bringing his weapon, Crow slowly slid the mittens off his hands, so he could use his fists instead if he needed to.  
          “On your knees.” Ordered the leader. Nosa looked around the circle once as some of the men had their weapons at the ready.  
          Nosa sighed and muttered a ‘goddammit’ under his breath. He knelt on one knee. The pain was really coming now. He winced as the blood kept coming but putting pressure only hurt it more. He could feel the bullet still sunken into his skin.  
          Crow looked over his shoulder and back at Nosa. “Who are these people?” He whispered, following suit and kneeling on the ground.  
          Nosa didn’t get to answer from the leader, Hannibal, giving another order. “Hand over the Joy, Bull.”  
          Nosa’s expression tightened into a frown. “Can you at least come and get it? I kind of have a bullet in me now.”  
          Hannibal huffed. “Still joking around when you’re surrounded like this? You really are an idiot, Bull.” Nosa said nothing in reply. Hannibal then gave a nod to one of his boys who darted behind one of the massive boulders and pulled a large delivery truck around. The circle opened to allow it in then brought their ranks closed again. The truck was now stalled in front of them and Hannibal stood next to it and gave the hood a hard pat.  
          “Haven’t forgotten about you breaking my hand last time. Really not happy about it. I thought I’d make things even with some interest. And since you brought a friend, I’ll let him join in too, free of charge!” His crooked smile came back. “Lay your arms down on the ground.”  
          Crow tensed, hands closing into fists. He stared at the truck, thinking that maybe it could be used as a method of escape somehow now that the bike was out of commission, but it was no use. Even if by some miracle the two of them were able to get past Hannibal unscathed, escape would still be difficult. Glancing at Nosa, he slowly laid his arms down on the ground.  
          “This is fucked.” Nosa shook his head. “Crow never did anything to you, if you wanna do something to anyone, just do it to me. Leave him out of it.” Hannibal didn’t seem to budge at this offer, it only made him smile more now that Nosa seemed protective. Nosa balled his hands into tight fists as a response. He lifted them slowly off the ground. “You really think I’m just gonna lie down and take this bullshit without a fight?” There was a flame of anger starting to burn in his eyes. He could feel a twist in his stomach that began to wash over his core and into his limbs.  
          Crow froze as he saw Nosa move his hands, eyes darting from him to the man standing in front of them. “Nosa, don’t!” He hissed, his heart starting to race. Nosa was already injured, and Crow didn’t want to see what these people would do to him in response to an act of resistance. He’d rather take whatever punishment that man intended to give himself.  
          “As if I’d let you.” Hannibal smirks at Nosa’s threat. He looks past them and makes eye contact with one of his men that have a gun. It’s an automatic and he marches right over. “This is happening, Bull.” He looks from his boy down to Crow’s face. “Knock him out. Hard.” The man flips the gun around and bashes the rear of it into the back of Crow’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh good golly gosh, things are heating up. The gay is coming, dw. Expect next chapter tomorrow.
> 
> Once again [Nosa](https://tormaph.tumblr.com/post/179738981864/hey-i-made-a-lisa-oc) is [mine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520279). [Crow](https://devilsbathhouse.tumblr.com/post/176990251691/marbleboa-came-up-with-a-concept-for-a-lisa-oc-i) belongs to our co-writer [Spooky](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876083).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gay shit incoming. Sorry for the late update.

Crow slowly eases back into consciousness, starting to feel a throbbing sensation in his head that only increases as time goes on. He doesn’t move at first, only wanting to lie here until the pain stops, but he does open one of his eyes slightly. It’s dark around him, he doesn’t hear anything and now he’s aware of warm blood trickling down his forehead. _Wait._ Remembering what happened before he got knocked out, he jolts upright.  
          Night is nearly here with the snow fall picking up. There’s the sound of flesh on flesh. Punching. Hitting. A sickening crack of bone and then the last sound of a man’s life. Nosa drops the man, his hands were just around his neck and he releases his grip with the body crashing into a heap on the ground. Bodies of the men that Crow had seen before he was knocked out were tossed around with blood staining the ground all around them.   
          Crow’s eyes dart around the ground searching the bodies face’s, praying that he wouldn’t see anyone familiar. A sound further away makes his head shoot up, and he sees a figure standing over one of the bodies a fair distance from him. Crow slowly stands up, and creeps closer, cautiously, before he recognizes the man. “...Nosa?”  
          Nosa’s head snaps into the direction of the voice. His hands are covered in blood. There are cuts and wounds on his body, a bullet hole through his thigh, and even a knife in his upper back. There’s a ring of a soft glowing blue around his irises. He took too much Joy to fight and dull the pain. When he looks at Crow he only sees shapes. His anger is driving him, instincts saying there’s another threat he missed. His eyes are wide and focused, his expression blank as his mind is mixed with the Joy fueled rage. He’s over to Crow in seconds with Crow’s borrowed poncho balled into his fist. He lifts him right into the air and dangles him there.   
          Before Crow can even react, Nosa moves. The next thing he knows he’s a few inches off the ground and face to face to glowing blue eyes that made his blood run cold. Not even Flint or Leo’s Joy induced state could come close to this. “Nosa.” Crow tries to keep his voice steady and clear and raises a hand to place on Nosa’s arm. Could he even hear him? “You’re injured. Put me down, so I can help you. Please.” He desperately searches Nosa’s glowing eyes for some flicker of recognition.  
          Nosa’s hand was in a fist, ready to rearrange Crow’s face into an unrecognizable mess. He was about to strike when Crow spoke to him. The first words were only white noise. His grip clamped even harder and tightened the poncho attempting to choke Crow. His brain started to scramble as he tried to translate the words he’d just heard. He was breathing hard.  
          The cloth of his poncho tightened around his neck and Crow tried to push down his rising panic. “You saved me.” He blurted out, voice strained. “Those men attacked us, knocked me out, remember?  But they’re all gone now, you killed them. It’s over. You don’t have to fight anymore.” Crow slowly reached up with his free hand to lightly touch Nosa’s cheek, probably a stupid move, he thought, but he was out of options. “Don’t kill me. _Please_.”  
          The voice. Nosa knew it well. The pieces in his head came together with Crow’s touch. Recognition flashed across his face and it felt like water had been thrown on the fire in his heart. His expression softened to confusion and then panic. His fingers recoiled open fast as he dropped Crow.   
          Crow landed on his feet, thrown off balance for a moment before he righted himself. He gazed up at Nosa, feeling relief wash over him as he saw the previous blue glow absent from his eyes. Trying to ignore the soreness in both his head and throat, he gave a faint smile. “Welcome back.”  
          There were tears in Nosa’s eyes as he looked down at Crow. He put a hand to his head as the pain started to come.    
          The smile dropped from Crow’s face as he remembered Nosa’s injuries. “Shit.” He muttered, staring at all the cuts and other wounds that were scattered across Nosa’s body. He looks back up at Nosa and with a start sees he’s crying. “Hey.” He speaks softly, brow furrowed in concern. “I’m alright. You didn’t hurt me or anything.”  
          “Okay…” Nosa’s voice sounds like it’s coming back to normal. He tries to wipe his face, but he just smears blood across it. There’s pain pulsing in sync with his heart beat in his collarbone, thigh, and in his back. He reaches back and feels something jutting out. It’s hard, sharp, and wet with his blood. “Shit, when did I get _stabbed_?”  
          Crow’s eyes grew huge. “Jesus.” He had seen the other injuries on Nosa’s front but didn’t even notice the knife before. This was bad. “We need to get you somewhere safe to get these taken care of.” He frowns and looks around, eyes landing on the truck that was still standing nearby. “What about that?”  
          “Yeah.” Nosa’s hand clutches the handle and without thinking he just yanks it out. There’s a static shock of pain and blood begins to weep from the hole. Nosa looks at the knife now in his hand. He looks at the blade, covered in his own blood, the pulse dripping his blood out from his back. His brain connects the two, Nosa suddenly pales, he looks really confused, his legs give out, and he faints falling on his chest.   
          “ _Fuck._ ” Crow immediately crouches down next to him, eyes wild with panic. “No no no. Nosa. _Nosa_!” He brushes Nosa’s hair away from his neck and feels for a pulse. It’s still there, but weaker than it should be. He places his hands under Nosa’s arms, and with a grunt tries to pull him up, hooking one arm around his waist and moving one of Nosa’s arms around Crow’s shoulder.  
          Crow lets go of him with one hand to pull open the door to the back of the truck, revealing a large open space with boxes strewn around it. He partially carries partially drags Nosa into the truck, setting him against the wall. He still is unresponsive, blood streaming down his chest and back. Not wasting any time, Crow pulls the suitcase off his back and opens it. Hopefully there would be something he could use.  
          There’s mounds of all kinds of things stuffed into all crevices of the bag. Where to even start? Tucked into the side there are the edges of bandages and bandage tape clustered together. There’s also a flashlight under a strap on the side to light the darkness.  
          While picking up the bandages Crow’s hand brushes up against something metal and he grabs it, realizing it’s a flashlight. He turns it on and sets it down on the ground to illuminate the area and turns back to Nosa. The stab wound on his back and the bullet wounds on his thigh and collarbone are definitely the ones that need the most attention, but he couldn’t remove the bullets by himself. Maybe Antonio could help him with that once they got out of here, but for now he had to focus on stopping the bleeding. He picks up a roll of bandages and begins to wrap it tightly around Nosa’s thigh.  
          Nosa kicks at the touch, his body jumping to life. He screams and pushes himself against the wall.   
          Crow scrambles back, startled by the sudden movement and sound. “Nosa!!” A small smile of relief flickers across his face at the sight of him awake before it vanishes and is replaced by worry again. He reaches forward and places a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “Calm down, I’m trying to help you. I need to get these wounds bandaged before you bleed out, alright? Hold still.”  
          "It hurtssss. Ow, fuck, fuck, _FUCK_." He recoils from the touch. "Where are we?" His head is swimming from the pain and Joy. He didn't recognize the setting as the inside of the truck. "Am I dying...Am I dead?"  
          “Inside the truck that those men had. You fell unconscious and I brought you here. And no, you’re not, not if I can help it.” Crow gingerly pulls Nosa forward away from the wall, reaching behind him to wrap the bandages several times around the stab wound on his back. When finished, he examines the bullet wound on his collarbone and grimaces.  
          "There's vodka in the bag." he grunts.  
          Crow nods and turns to the suitcase, pushing aside a few other objects and revealing a bottle full of clear liquid. He reaches back and passes it to him. “This it?”  
          Nosa flicks off the cap and takes a long hard swig. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head as he swallowed getting the taste down. He did it again, and then one more. He makes a sour face and then another swig.   
          Crow watches him drink the bottle with a slight frown. “Be careful with that.” Hopefully he doesn’t die of alcohol poisoning before Crow can get the chance to properly treat him. At least this would help with the pain.  
          Nosa has managed to gulp down half the bottle in a hurry. He puts it on the ground by Crow. “Okay I’m ready…” he swallows hard trying to take down the hard taste of alcohol. “Get this bitch out of me.”  
          Crow freezes. “What? Nosa, I can’t do that, I don’t know how. I’ll probably just make it worse, even.”   
          “I didn’t just drink all this for nothing.” His head is swimming. He is usually really good at holding his alcohol but with the Joy still in his system, the alcohol is spreading through him fast. Each wrong move he makes, there’s pain shooting up his neck and down in his chest like needles.  
          Crow sees the pain clear on his face and hesitates before nodding. “...Alright. I’ll try.” He glances down at the suitcase. “Anything in here that I might be able to use?”  
          "Pliers....” Nosa winces. “In the bottom...."  
          Crow nods, and digs into the suitcase, and after a moment he finds what he needs. He shifts closer to Nosa and places a hand on the side of the wound on his collar. “Sorry about this.” He tenses his jaw as he uses the pliers and probes into the wound pushing the ruined flesh to the side and trying to find the bullet. Blood flows from the wound and runs down his hand.  
          Nosa is trying not to scream at this point. He’s biting into the back of his hand and there’s tears running down his face and he’s really feeling that alcohol now. He’s palming around for the bottle while not moving his neck area. He’s staring at the ceiling and his hand finally clings against the bottle. He turns it skyward in his mouth.   
          Crow glances nervously at Nosa and sees his face twisting in pain with tears on his face. He absolutely hates this, but it’s too late to stop now. Exhaling a shaky breath, he grabs the flashlight with his free hand and shines it on the wound. He spots the bullet and quickly pushes the pliers forward to clamp down on it. Waiting a moment for Nosa to finish drinking more of the vodka so he doesn’t choke, he quickly pulls back with the pliers and yanks the bullet out.  
          “SHIT, DUDE. SHIT!” Nosa yells and almost drops his bottle.   
          Blood begins to gush from the wound further and Crow immediately panics. “Oh fuck. Shit sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He continues to apologize profusely as his blood-soaked hands grab the bandage roll and starts wrapping it around the shoulder.   
Nosa realizes there's another bullet that’s still in his leg. "Crow....I changed my mind. Just...Let me die, dude."   
          “ _I can’t let you die_.” Crow’s voice comes out much louder and emotional than he would’ve liked, but at this point his fear is taking over. He inhales a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. “Okay, okay, it-it’s fine, okay? _You’re_ okay. There’s just one more, I’ll make it quick, I promise.”  
          His serious tone strikes a note with him. Nosa sighs heavily. He’s really feeling that alcohol in his stomach now. He’s already feeling dizzy. “Okay…. Just. Distract me. Talk about something.”   
          “Um, okay.” Crow takes the pliers and pulls at the fabric of the pants around the bullet wound, making it easier to access. “Did I ever tell you how I got my nickname? Felix gave it to me.” He begins to press the tips of the plier down, other hand on the leg trying to hold it still. “Thought my original one was boring, apparently. I honestly kind of liked it though, but, well he insisted, and you know how he gets.” He starts to calm down slightly, the talking helping him focus on the task in front of him as he continues to probe the wound.  
          _Not my nice jeans._ Nosa thinks. He prepares for the sting and doesn’t look at his leg or Crow. He covers his eyes and he can’t stop the tears from coming already. “Yeah…? What’s your real name? Know what mine is?”  
          “It’s Jason.  Jason Tanaka.” He frowns, puzzled. “Wait, Nosa’s not your real name? I thought Bull was your nickname with people.” His frown deepens as he continues moving the pliers. He still can’t find the bullet, it must be deeper than he thought.  
          Nosa kicks and winces hard at the plier moving in the wound. The pain is starting to cut in half as he gets more of the feel of the alcohol. “Yeah… Actually, if you ask Buzzo he’ll tell you. Know what he says?”   
          “...I have no idea.” This couldn’t be good. Crow shone the flashlight on the wound and continued, the plier now at least an inch or two deep in the flesh. “What is it?”  
          He wipes his face still smearing some blood with tears. “Dumbass is my first name and Idiot is my last. The Idiot part is from my dad’s side.”  
          Crow lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. “How am I not surprised.” Finally, sandwiched between bright red tissue, Crow sees the bullet. He pushes a little bit furthered, clamping the pliers down. Setting down the flashlight, he holds Nosa’s thigh in an iron grip. “Hold still.” He pulls.  
          Nosa crunches his teeth into his arm. It hurts, it REALLY hurts even with the alcohol. But he’s at least able to stifle a scream. His body is shaking even with him trying to tighten the muscles all but around his leg.   
          With one more sharp movement Crow finally pulls out the last bullet. Dropping it along with the pliers, he wipes the sweat from his brow and sighs, pausing a moment before he picks up another roll of bandages. “All done.” Crow studies Nosa’s face. He looks exhausted. “How are you feeling?” He wraps the bandages around his thigh, making sure to layer them tightly.  
          Nosa already has his hand back on the bottle. “Great.” He stops and blubbers out some words with alcohol dribbling down his lip. He goes back to nursing the bottle before pulling it from his lips once again. “Seriously…. thanks. I owe you.”   
          “Well, you can pay me back by giving me that.” Crow reaches over and pulls the bottle from his hands, setting it behind him out of Nosa’s reach. “I think you’ve had enough. Right now, I want you to rest, alright?”  
          “Fine.” Nosa is quiet for a minute and rests his head back on the metal of the wall. He closes his eyes and takes a much-needed breath to try and settle his nerves. “I really regret this. If I hadn’t like. Brought you along? Maybe things would have gone, like, a lot differently.”  
          Crow puts everything back into the suitcase before taking a seat next to Nosa. “Maybe so, but what if you still ended up getting hurt like this? Those men were planning on ambushing you from the start.” He looks down at his hands still sticky with blood and his voice is quiet. “At least I was able to help you here. I don’t want to know what would’ve happened if I wasn’t.”  
          “I wish I could say this isn’t the worst scrap I’ve been in. If you were in my shoes right now…” He stops to wipe his hand on his poncho but feels that he doesn’t have it on. He keeps talking regardless. “I probably would have done a lot worse to those guys. You’re small.” His hand rests on the top of Crow’s head. “Two shots in you? I’d be burying you.”  
          Crow huffs and he turns his head away from Nosa but doesn’t push his hand away. “Give me a break. I think you’ll find I’m more resilient than you give me credit for.” He looks down at his chest. “I suppose it does depend on where I get shot, though...” Then he remembers the poncho he’s wearing. “Wait, do you want this back? It’s still pretty cold in here, I know you said you didn’t feel it as much but...”  
          Nosa rubs his head gently. When he looks at Crow it feels like his vision and thoughts are just a half second behind. "Nah, you can still borrow it for now. You deserve it.... Can you get the blanket from the pack? It’s at the bottom…” His relaxed look faded. “Wait, shit where's the other stuff I gave you??.... That wasn't mine."  
          Crow frowns. “I think they’re back outside, I dropped the mittens and the hat fell off when you pushed me...don’t know about the scarf, it’s probably out there too. We can look for them when it’s brighter out.” He hesitated to move away from Nosa’s hand on his head, which he had to admit felt rather nice, but he crawled forward to the suitcase and produced the blanket. “Here we go.”  
          “I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but I’m about to crawl out there and get them if you don’t. My friend made those for Liz-” He shakes his head and corrects himself. “My brother… So…”   
          Crow looks hesitant at first, not wanting to leave Nosa by himself while he’s still injured. But it does seem like those things were important to him. After a long pause he sighs heavily. “Fine. Be right back.” He throws the blanket onto Nosa and picks up the flashlight, opening the doors and stepping off the truck onto the ground.  
          Nosa shuffles to put the blanket under him so he can separate himself from the hard metal floor. He looks at the bottle of vodka longingly even with his breath and throat hot from the taste. He hopes he can move more in the morning.   
          Crow shines the flashlight on the ground, following the trail of blood Nosa left while he carried him to backtrack to where he was. The snow had let up, only a few flakes falling here and there.  He found the scarf crumpled in the snow, wet but not damaged, and soon enough found where the hat and mittens lay as well. Quickly moving around the bodies strewn across the ground, he pauses when he notices one of them looks familiar. It’s the men’s leader, Hannibal. He kicks the body, then goes back to Nosa.  
          Nosa used the blanket edge to wipe off a lot of the blood lining his arms and face. He was finishing wiping the tears from his eyes as Crow returned. Another deep breath and he starts. “Hey, uh, Crow. I have a weird question.”   
          Crow sits back down next to him and places the items he retrieved in front of them. “What is it?”  
          Nosa was going to reach and dress Crow back in the attire but his hand hangs in the air and then drops. "Can you just be real with me and tell me how much you hate me?"  
          Crow glances sharply at Nosa. “What?” He studies Nosa’s face to see if maybe he’s joking, but he looks dead serious. _Oh_. Crow feels his heart sink. He knew he wasn’t the best at expressing outward affection, and sometimes he could give an aloof impression even with close friends, but he didn’t realize Nosa thought that. “Nosa, that’s...” he struggles to find what to say. “No, you’ve got it wrong, I don’t hate you. In fact...” He hesitates and lowers his voice almost as if he doesn’t want Nosa to hear him. “...I would say it’s the opposite, in fact.”  
          “What for real?” Nosa seemed actually confused. “Usually guys are pretty upfront calling me a dickhead and telling me to piss off, but…I never got that vibe from you…I thought you were just really good at hiding it.” He questioned himself. “Am I just a sad rambling drunk right now?” He laughed at that and hesitated. “You know…. why I pick on you so much?”   
          Crow shakes his head, now curious. “No, why?”  
          “Well, first because your reactions are usually hilarious.” He grins but it softens. “But…if I may be so bold, I feel like you don’t smile enough. Like we all got some shit going down these days, I get it.” He took another breath and scratched his head. “But despite that, kind of boosts my ego when I tell enough jokes to make someone smile.”   
          Crow stares at him, mouth slightly agape. “...Oh.” He feels warmth rise in his face and is glad they’re sitting in the darkness. “I... appreciate that, Nosa. Really. And listen, I know I don’t always show it, and I can be... _cold_ at times, but I really do enjoy spending time with you. I hope you know that.”  
          Nosa feels heat in his face too but it just makes him laugh. "Thanks for letting me know. You're great, Jason, really."  
          The use of his real name makes Crow freeze. It had been so long since he’d had that name spoken to him, and while his voice was warm as he said it, Crow still felt shivers down his spine. He turned his body to face Nosa, and stared at him for a moment, gaze tracing over the outline of his mouth in the darkness. Then slowly, carefully, he brought up his hand to cup Nosa’s cheek and turned his face toward him. He stayed like that for a while, Nosa completely still. He didn’t pull away, just frozen. Pushing down the rest of his apprehension, Crow leaned forward, tilting his head up so their lips met.  
          As most people knew, Nosa was an idiot. He was expecting Crow to exhale sharply or throw him a look when using Crow’s real name. He didn’t know what Crow was doing when he looked at his lips or when, even aided by a pull and tug in his chest giving him a hint, Crow’s hand touched his cheek. He had pictured the warmth and texture of his hands in his mind when it was now pressed to his face. Even if they were worn, he liked them and wanted to hold them some more.           Having them touch his face was a whole new experience. He was almost about to ask if something was wrong or if Crow was planning to hit him when he put his hand there. When he felt the soft press of Crow’s lips, his heart hit his ribcage and didn’t stop.   
          Crow stayed there for a few heartbeats before he pulled away, face still a few inches away from Nosa’s. “I...” he swallowed, feeling a surge of panic as he realized what he just did.  “I’m sorry if that wasn’t what you wanted, I just...I had to.”  
          Nosa stares at him with his face red as a beet. He gave an awkward laugh and his voice cracked trying to say "Ha.....Did you mean to do that or am I just really drunk?"  
          “...Yeah. I did.” Crow replies quietly, shifting his weight back to where he was sitting before. He stares straight ahead, almost nervous to look at whatever expression is on Nosa’s face right now.  
          "Do you mind if I try it?"  
          Crow jolts and glances at him with widened eyes. “W-what?” His voice comes out a bit more high-pitched than usual and he clears his throat and takes a deep breath, unsuccessfully trying to regain his composure. “I-I mean...go ahead.”  
          Nosa cups his face like Crow had just done with him. He gently turns his head to the side and puts a gentle kiss on Crow's neck, right on the scar that ran up the length of it. The scar is cut off at his mouth and returns to run just at the bottom of his nose. Nosa next kisses right below the bottom of his lip to the scar's edge. Lastly, Crow's eyebrow is split from a small scar, he gives his final kiss there.  
          Crow freezes at the contact, shivers running down his spine at the sensation of Nosa’s breath on his skin. As Nosa kisses along his scars Crow is completely still, mouth slightly agape, and his eyelids flutter shut. The feeling is so overwhelming, and he feels tense like a spring coiled too tightly. However, his body slowly relaxes, and he exhales a shaky breath.  
          Nosa puts some distance between their faces so he can see Crow’s expression. He has a friendly but shy smile. “How was that?”   
          Crow opens his eyes and stares at him, opening and closing his mouth as his mind attempts to form words. He shakes his head slightly, trying to regain his composure, and after a moment returns the smile. “That was...great.” His face reddens even further as he lowers his voice, his eyes darting down to Nosa’s mouth. “Could I... kiss you again?”  
          He just nods slightly, not making eye contact. He knows his face must look ridiculous with the grin stretching it out.  
          Crow smile widens, and he reaches forward immediately, cupping Nosa’s face with both his palms as he gently guides his head forward to press his lips to his again. Kissing him a little deeper than before, he runs his fingers through Nosa’s fluffy hair. He’s always wanted to do that.  
          His body feels weirdly light and his heart is still racing. He’s worried Crow would feel it or even hear it at this point, but he decides that he doesn’t really care. Nosa puts one of his hands against Crow’s and softly returns the kiss.  
          Crow gives a contented hum as he feels Nosa move his mouth against his, and after a while traces his hands down his neck to rest on his shoulders. His fingers lightly brush against the bandages there, and he pulls away suddenly, seeing the blood has started to seep through. “Oh. I should change these.”  
          “I’m fine.” He tries to reassure him. “We can worry about it in the morning. I don’t know how I’m awake right now. I’m more than exhausted.” His eyes were heavy, and the alcohol was making him drowsy.   
          Crow frowns, gaze shifting from the bandages to Nosa’s face. He did look exhausted, which was no surprise. Crow hesitates for a second then nods. “Alright, fine. I’ll be right back.” He stands, walking over to the door of the truck and pulling down a level to lock it, just so they don’t get any unexpected visitors. Then he returns to his place besides him. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”  
          "Yeah. Can I ask another question?"  
          Crow nods, leaning back against the metal wall. “What is it?”  
          He swallows and wipes his mouth. "Can I like...hold on to you?"  
          Crow at first looks a little bit surprised at the request, but his face quickly softens. “Sure. Go ahead.” He shifts to the side a bit more so he and Nosa’s shoulders are touching.  
          Nosa sinks down on the blanket and brings Crow with him until they're both lying flat. Nosa turns and rests his head against Crow's chest and puts one arm around him. He tries to slow his beating heart and shuts his eyes.  
          Crow shifts his one hand onto Nosa’s shoulder, the other resting on his head and absentmindedly stroking his hair. He waits a little bit for Nosa’s breathing to become light and even, before Crow’s eyes close as well and he drifts off.  
          It doesn’t take long for Nosa to fall asleep. He feels happy and holding onto Crow reminds him of the warm and safe feeling of his bed and home in Atlanta. His final thoughts rest on bringing Crow into that happiness with him. He wanted to show him so many things back home and winding down he formulated a plan to get him there. The rest could wait. He let the gentle feeling of Crow’s fingers through his cloud of a head lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's [some](https://twitter.com/buggauntlets/status/1080906535335653376) [art](https://marbleboa.tumblr.com/post/181569947209/just-some-guys-bein-dudes-ft-my-oc-crowleft-and) we did for some parts in the chapter! 
> 
> That's it. We wrote some more stuff triple the gay, which I may or may not upload, but thanks for showing an interest and stuff!
> 
> Later!  
> -Soms


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